Beast Cult In The Gordon

In the Gordon Superpower Division, Herrald, the director who has not been appointed for a long time, is conducting an urgent meeting in the conference room.

Herrald, now 35 years old, previously served as a lieutenant in the Third Division of the Tiger Army.

After awakening his superpower at 30, Herrald enrolled in the Superpower Training Center, which specializes in training newly awakened individuals. 

He completed a two-year program there, after which he was appointed as the director of the Gordon Superpower Division.

During his three years in this leadership position, Herrald has successfully overseen the resolution of numerous illegal cases involving superpowers. A year ago, under his leadership, the division participated in a significant operation to dismantle criminal organizations in the Red District, collaborating with other divisions.

In a noteworthy accomplishment, Herrald led a prolonged pursuit of the leader of a criminal organization, ultimately capturing him alive after a relentless chase that lasted both day and night.

"Leader, according to the information relayed by our informant, one of the leaders, along with several devoted members of the cult organization, 'Beast Cult,' was last seen near the Ampera Bridge just an hour ago. We conducted further observations and noted their unusual behavior; they seemed to be searching for something in their surroundings, but their intentions were still unknown. For the sake of discretion and to avoid spooking these cultists, our personnel refrained from approaching them directly to ascertain what exactly they were seeking."

At this moment, a female officer named Hera, with crimson, long, curly hair, and stylish glasses, reported with a thoughtful expression.

The handsome middle-aged man with an eyepatch, Herrald, voice gravelly and filled with skepticism, posed a question: "Beast Cults are typically active in the shadows of Foresta City; what brings them so far to the Gordon?"

Beast Cult is a recently formed organization that worships the unknown "Beast God" and collects various strange beasts. However, they have become fugitives from the government because they engage in kidnapping and experimenting with people using the organs of strange beasts.

"Leader, Beast Cult likes to collect the blood of strange beasts. Perhaps their appearance this time signaled that a strange beast appeared in Gordon..." Hera speculated.

"Hmmm... regardless of the situation, since they have the audacity to show themselves, it is our duty to apprehend them. I will transfer three teams of inspectors for this task. Do you have any suggestions?" Herrald asked.

"None!"

"Alright, since there are no suggestions, let's proceed!"

****

As the clock ticked past 10 p.m., the night air grew cooler, and Dean sat on the worn wooden bench of the bus shelter, his white hoodie pulled up against the chill. He wore long gray pants that brushed against his ankles, his gaze focused down the dimly lit street.

A moment later, the yellow bus appeared, its headlights cutting through the darkness and illuminating the wet pavement as it came to a halt at the stop.

Dean turned his head, and his eyes landed on a young man who was stepping down from the bus.

The young man had dark blue hair that glinted eerily under the streetlights, and he wore a slightly oversized blue hoodie and short, loose lepis pants that danced around his legs as he moved. A backpack swung at his side, adding to his youthful energy.

His face bore an uncanny resemblance to Dean's, their features mirroring each other, though the younger boy was noticeably shorter.

As soon as his feet hit the ground, the young man broke into a wide grin. He sprinted toward Dean, arms outstretched, enveloping Dean tightly, and exclaimed: "Brother, I missed you!"

However, Dean released the young man from the hug, pinching his cheek playfully yet firmly, and said, "Devan, how dare you leave home at this hour? What if something were to happen to you on the way?"

Devan, pouting slightly, rolled his eyes and replied with a hint of defiance, "What is there to be afraid of? I'm a man. I can go anywhere on my own!"

"Nonsense! Don't you know there have been many kidnapping cases lately? Children, women, teenagers, and even the elderly are not spared from these dangers. You are not an Awakener; you wouldn't be able to defend yourself if something happened," Dean scolded him.

"But, brother, you are a strong awakener. If anything happened to me, you would definitely save me!" After saying this, Devan hugged Dean again.

"You—" Dean was speechless. After a moment, he could only sigh helplessly and say, "What a spoiled brat. Do Mom and Dad know you're here?"

Devan didn't answer.

"Forget it. Let's go back first. I'll call them later."

"Hehe, my brother is the best!"

"Alright, let go of me. You're heavy!"

"I'm tired~,"

"..." 

***

Meanwhile, at the Ampera Bridge, the leader of the Beast Cult, known as the Fourth Lord, was confronted by two men in white robes, one tall and one short.

"What's going on? Where is the thing I wanted?" The Fourth Lord asked, a frown on his face.

The tall man in the white robe lowered his head and replied, "Fourth Lord, we lost it..."

"What?!" The Fourth Lord shouted angrily. "You fools! How could you lose it? Do you have any idea how long we have been searching for it? We finally found it, and now you've let it slip away!"

The short man in white quickly explained, "Sir, we managed to injure it and almost capture it, but it suddenly jumped into the river and disappeared..."

"I don't care! Hurry up, find it, and capture it. We've been here for too long; I'm sure those inspectors from the Superpower Division will be here soon!" The Fourth Lord commanded.

"Yes, sir. This time, we will definitely capture it!"

The two subordinates were about to disperse when a sudden change occurred.

Dozens of individuals in blue uniforms rushed out of the woods, quickly surrounding the white-robed men on the bridge.

"Damn it, it's the Superpower Division!"

Panic rippled through the cult members as they exchanged fearful glances.

"What should we do, Fourth Lord?" One of them asked, his voice trembling with anxiety.

"The mission is canceled. Retreat immediately!" The Fourth Lord announced, his tone urgent yet measured.

"Retreat? Do you think Gordon is a place where cultists like you can enter and leave freely?" A cold, authoritative voice cut through the tension, echoing ominously around them.

"Not good, it's Herrald, the director of the Gordon Superpower Division! We're doomed…" The cult member felt a wave of dread wash over him as he recognized Herrald. His voice rose to a frantic scream.

"Keep your composure, everyone! They are vastly outnumbered," The Fourth Lord replied, his voice low and steady despite a flicker of surprise at Herrald's sudden appearance.

"Everyone, listen to the Fourth Lord. There are so many of us. Don't be afraid of them. At worst, we will fight with them." The short man in a white robe shouted.

"Fourth Lord, you go first, and I'll hold them." The tall man in a white robe said to the Fourth Lord.

"Seventh, my good brother, don't worry. The cult will not mistreat your wife and daughter. Sixth, let's retreat for now!" 

The Fourth Lord quickly fled to the west with his men.

"Team 1 and Team 2, follow me to chase their leader. Team 3, you're responsible for the rest of the group," Herrald instructed.

Just as the inspectors prepared to give chase, an array of formidable earth spikes erupted from the ground, encircling them in a jagged earth wall. The tall man in the white robe had not fled; instead, he wielded the earth as a barrier, artfully manipulating the spikes to thwart their pursuit.

Though the spikes were not lethal, they formed an imposing obstacle, effectively sealing off the route the inspectors needed to take to reach the Fourth Lord.

Herrald snorted as he clenched his fist, his muscles tensing as he launched a powerful punch forward.

BOOM!

The force of his strike sent a shockwave rippling through the air, splintering the earth spikes into gravel and dust. 

However, when the earth spike was removed, the Fourth Lord and his men had already disappeared from Herrald's vision. 

"Chase!" Herrald shouted.

"I won't let you!" Seventh retorted, determination igniting his words.

In an instant, a shimmering energy enveloped him, and his form began to shift uncontrollably. His limbs twisted and elongated, muscles rippling beneath his skin as he gradually transformed into a formidable humanoid turtle. A massive, rugged shell emerged on his back, glistening under the light, its intricate patterns echoing the strength he now embodied. The air crackled with tension as Seventh embraced his new, powerful form.

"This..."

The inspectors from the Superpower Divisions were stunned as they witnessed the scene before them.

They had heard rumors about the Beast Cult's members being able to transform into beast-like creatures, but this was the first time they had experienced it firsthand. 

It looked so ugly!

"Leader, let me handle this ugly creature!" Hera stepped forward and said.

As she spoke, she suddenly raised her right arm, and a massive fireball erupted from her palm. Without hesitation, she threw it toward Seventh, who had already transformed into a humanoid turtle.

BOOM

Meanwhile, Herrald, watching this scene, immediately turned his head away and led the two teams to chase in the direction where the Fourth Lord fled.

Meanwhile, the remaining team began to fight against the remaining Beast Cult members.